Package opening device



Oct. 31, 1939. o. ANDERSON 2,178,157 J PACKAGE OPENING DEVICE Filed Dec. 21, 1937 ifi iwwwn Patented Oct. 31, 1939 I UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE PACKAGE OPENING DEVICE Otto Anderson, Paulsbo, Wash. Application December 21, 1937, Serial No. 181,050

v 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) My present invention relates to means for open- Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views taken ing packages, such as those used for cigarettes along the similarly numbered lines of Figure 1. wherein the materials used in creating the pack- Figure 6 is a top plan view of a cigarette packa a t s lf-supp t nd r ly up n th a e which is shown in section, disclosing my open- 5 tight nesting of the contents to maintain the ing device in the position it assumes during the 5 hape of th package, transportation'of the package.

My device is especially useful for opening the Figure '7 is a fragmentary vi i perspective type of package used as a container for twenty showing the top of a package, sealed in the concigarettes but it may also be used for opening ventional manner, with my device entirely conpackages of other materials, particularly those cealed. 10

' that are encased in the transparentsheet covering Figure 8 is a perspective view taken'in the materials in which an opening is so difiicult to same sense as Figure '7 but illustrating the'manstart but, once effected, the covering can be torn ner in which the initial step is taken in the ope quite readily. ing of a cigarette package. p

It is for such packages that my device finds Figure 9 illustrates in fragmentary, perspective 15 particular application in that it can be easily view an opened package of cigarettes with my encased in the package at the time the same is opening device in its final position holding the formed and is so inexpensive as not to add aptorn end portion of the package down against preciably to the cost of the package. the top of the package where it is out of the way.

Further, my device is of a size, normally, to Figure 10 1s a perspective view similar to Fig- 20 cover approximately one end of the package and ure 9 but illustrating the same with the cigawhen so constructed provides a reinforcement rette control device folded back with the open or supporting means for the end of the package ing portion of the same. that prevents crushing of the same with the re- Figure 11 is a perspective view taken in the sultant mutilation of the contents. same sense as Figures 9 and 10 but showing my 35 A further object of my present invention is to cigarette control device as bent downwardly forcprcvide means that will assure uniform opening ing the cigarettes back into the unmutilated p of a package, that can be effected by one hand, tion of the cigarette package. even when gloves or mitts are worn on that hand. Referring to the drawing, throughout which Still a further objec of my ve tion is to prolike reference characters indicate like parts, I2 30 vide means that will definitely hold the torn, designates generally my opening device The covering materials in an unobtrusive manner and overall length of my opener and the width therewill provide that the unopened end of the cigaof should conform to that of the package in which rette, or other, package will be so supported that it is to be used. At one end th corners as at it will not be damaged. I! should be rounded or given whatever shape 35 Another important object of my present invenrequired to fit snugly into the corners of the pa k tion is to provide means that is adjustably under ge. The opposite end is provided with a rather the control of the user, that will regulate the blunt 110ml? D e two cutting edges l8 manner of dispensing the package, and can be The Pointed i y 0P8111I1g deV1Ce 40 used to hold part of the contents back in the un- 18 curved after h showing i Figure 3 with the 40 collapsed portion of the package so that the cigaextreme edges galven a g more abrupt Curve rettes, for instance, may by mutual support, proas mdlcated at o and These comers are 150 provide in efiect cutting edges terminating in g f s' the flattenmg or crushmg Of them points to pierce and cut the several layers of s erials makin u the acka eso that th mar- Other and more specific obJects will be apmat g p p g e a in of the package as indicated at 23 and 24 will parent from the following description taken in fi cut reasonably clean.

connection with the aecompenying drawing Struck out of the body of blank l2, at the wherein pointed end of the same, is the cigarette control ure 1 is a p p View Of an Opening tongue 26. This is provided with a curved outer 5g vice made after the t ac s y inventlonface as 28, substantially straight sides 29 and Figure 2 is a longitudinal. Sectio al V w a reduced neck portion at 30. The base of this through my device. reduced neck portion as 32 is substantially on Figure 3 is a view from the right hand end a line with the end of the curved up lips 20 and u of Figure 1. 2| which extend substantially to points 34 and 35. In this manner a natural line of bending is provided in that the material of tongue 20 is oi reduced section at this point and the body i2 has minimum resistence at this same point owing to the fact that the strengthening of plate i2, due to the curved section, leaves of! at this point. This construction is of material advantage when the opening of a cigarette package is undertaken.

Method of operation When cigarettes, or other materials, are packaged the opener member i2 is inserted therein underneath the end covering material which is then folded around the same so as to entirely hide it from view. When it is desired to open a package the same is grasped, as shown in Figure 8, by supporting it at the rear as by the fingers shown at 31 and pressing the thumb II in a substantially horizontal manner somewhat below the upper margin of the package. As the thumb is pressed inwardly, to a degree less than that shown in the exaggerated Figure 8, point it first breaks through the layers of covering material. The pressure by the thumb is then changed to an upward thrust forcing the upturned lips 20 and 2| against the sides 23 and 24 and as the same is forced upwardly, the end of the package, including the revenue stamp at 40, is cut away after the showing of Figures 9, 10, and 11. The final action with the thumb is to press the pointed end of the opener l2 back and down until it assumes the position shown in Figure 9. When so done substantially one-half of the package has been opened, the material removed from the open end portion is clamped between the two ends of the opener and held in position out of the way. The cigarette control tab 26 is normally left in the position shown in Figure 9. Owing to the curve occurring at and to pressing inwardly at the opposite corners l2 and 43, the end walls will be forced out sufilciently so that a single cigarette can be dispensed at a time. If this is not desirable particularly when filling a cigarette case and the like, tab 26 can be bent back and lie within its original opening as shown in Figure 10 and thus permit ready access to about forty percent of the package. This action usually releases enough to till the average small cigarette case. If it is desired to preserve the remainder oi the cigarettes without distortion the tab 2| can be bent downwardly after the showing of Figure 11 so as to hold the remaining, approximately one-half of the cigarettes, well back into the unopened part at the package where by their own combined strength they are able to preserve the original outline of the package and thus are able to resist distortion when carried about. when these cigarettes are desired it is a simple matter to turn the tab up after the showing 0! Figure 10 where it is entirely out of the way.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawing are believed to clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An opener for use within a paper receptacle comprising a flat sheet of pliant material having a transverse cutting edge at one end, said end being concavo-convex in cross section and having reinforced longitudinally extending edges.

2. An opener for use within a paper receptacle comprising a sheet of pliant material having a transversely extending, pointed, cutting edge at one end, said end being concavo-convex in cross section, and inturned reinforcing flanges extending along the longitudinal edges of said end.

3. An opener for use within a. paper receptacle comprising a sheet of pliant material having an intermediate transversely extending weakened portion adapted to be bent, a cutting edge at one end of the sheet, and upturned lips extending along the longitudinal edges from the cutting edge to said intermediate weakened portion.

4. An opener for use within a paper receptacle comprising a sheet of pliant material having an intermediate transversely extending weakened portion adapted to be bent, a cutting edge at one end of the sheet, parallel longitudinally extending reinforcing flanges at the edges between said cutting edge and weakened portion, and a foldable tongue struck from said end portion having a base integral with the weakened portion.

OTTO ANDERSON. 

